Ichiran Ramen Will Pre-Open As Members-Only Noodle Shop

Ichiran Ramen’s opening date has proven just as slippery as its noodles. The Japanese chain’s first U.S. outpost, in Greenpoint, was featured in the magazine’s Fall 2007 preview, and though it was eagerly anticipated by Chowhounders, it never opened. As of spring of last year, according to one Chowhounder’s translation of a Japanese magazine, the location was “continuing to develop a special menu.” Now a sign has been posted indicating that it will open its doors, at first, as a “limited membership shop” accessible only to “those living in the distance which walks from this shop,” provided they fill out an application form. In other words, it seems the place is ready to shift into a bizarre version of friends-and-family while it tries to approximate the Tonkotsu ramen it serves in Nippon. (We can only assume it will also have the same awesome vending machines and peep-booth-type seating shown in this video.) If you have a friend in Greenpoint, this may be the time to call upon them. Meanwhile, here’s the rest of the message.